This invention relates to a chute for supplying empty bobbins to a spinning frame. More particularly, it relates to such chute for promptly transporting empty bobbins to a reserve unit mounted above an empty bobbin supply conveyor of the spinning frame, said empty bobbins being maintained in substantially horizontally position during transport and not being caused to dwell for any appreciable time period in the chute.
According to conventional practice, the spinning frame and the winder integrated therewith are not coordinated but are operated independently of one another. Therefore, a number of empty bobbins, that is, the bobbins from which the yarn has been unwound in the winder, are placed in a single salvage casing, and transported therein to a reserve box of the spinning frame where they are pooled or stored. These empty bobbins are then supplied from the reserve box one by one to an empty bobbin supply conveyor and thereby transported to an automatic doffer where they are replaced by full packaged bobbins.
In an effort to increase manufacturing efficiency not only of the spinning process but of the winding and related processes, it has become customary in recent times to interconnect the spinning frame and the winder by means of a pair of conveyors so that full packaged bobbins prepared in the spinning frame are transported directly to the winder and the bobbins from which the yarn has been unwound at the winder are returned to the spinning frame.
In such case, it becomes necessary that these empty bobbins are returned one by one from the winder by a belt conveyor and supplied thereby to the chute in substantially horizontal position without becoming stagnant in the chute so as to be stored in a reserve device mounted above the empty bobbin supply conveyor of the spinning frame.
In the conventional system, as discussed above, all of the bobbins are stored in the reserve box and pushed out of the box by the bobbins that follow closely one after the other. Hence, the bobbins are shifted on very rare occasions from their horizontal to their vertical positions during transport thereof. However, in the new system, the empty bobbins supplied in horizontal position to the upper part of the chute are most likely to be shifted from their horizontal to their vertical position during intermittent transport through the chute. In such case, the chute may be stopped up with empty bobbins and thus unable to carry out smooth transport of the bobbins. In addition, difficulties are presented in disposing of the empty bobbins in the ensuing steps in case the bobbins are transported in this manner in the upright position. This problem is most acute when the bobbin is tapered because then it is likely to descend with its large end downward.